Touch of Sympathy
by always krissy
Summary: new chapter: Conner walks Kira home. Spoilers for 'Leader of the Whack.'
1. 1

TITLE: Touch of Sympathy  
AUTHOR: always krissy  
DISCLAIMER: Power Rangers Dino Thunder belongs to Disney, not me.  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Spoilers for 'Truth and Consequences," and this started out as a short drabble and hit a thousand words... go me! ;) And thanks to Jen for part of the end of the fic. grins  
PAIRING(S): Conner/Kira, Kira/Trent  
RATING: PG

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about Trent."

Kira looked up, startled from her thoughts, and offered Conner a half smile when she noticed him watching her. He was standing awkwardly in the doorway of the kitchen, just looking at her, his face a mask devoid of emotions.

"Thanks," she answered. Her reply was barely above a whisper.

She had retreated after hours of scans and theories for rescuing Doctor O. The kitchen of Doctor O.'s house had been her first thought, and there she'd sat for nearly an hour. Just thinking. If only she'd thought about asking Trent how to save Doctor O. before he'd run away from her. If only she had caught on to Trent's strange behavior in the first place. If only she was smarter, like Hayley, so she could be of more use. If only... If only! It made her want to cry, and Conner seemed to notice her expression.

"Don't beat yourself up over this," Conner furiously strode into the kitchen. He pulled out a chair from the table and threw himself into it. "Making yourself crazy over this won't help you, or Doctor O., and will just make you a weaker link for us. We need you, Kira." There was a long pause and he touched her hand softly, "Look... I understand--"

"No, you don't!" Kira snatched her hand away from him, and her eyes turned dark with emotion, "You don't understand. You didn't see someone you love in pain and unable to help him! Trent can't even help himself, and I just sit here, not doing a thing but sulk! Doctor O.'s trapped, Trent ran away because he can't stop the impulses, you were hurt... And me? No... Just forget it!"

"You love him?" During her outburst, Conner's eyes had widened to saucers. She... loved him? For some reason, that revelation made the world shattered. Conner had never really realized how much Kira had liked the evil White Ranger. Sure, he knew she thought he was cute, but love? "You barely know him! And he's _evil_! Geez, Kira, you sure know how to pick them."

"He can't help being evil!" she snapped. Why did he and Ethan keep insisting on that Trent chose that path?

"Well, you don't just waltz into a random dark lair and pick something up because it looks cool and say, 'I should become an evil Power Ranger!' because you 'can't help it!'" he snapped back.

"Maybe he was kidnapped," she suggested. Her voice was tinged with sarcasm, "Not like that isn't unheard of! These guys aren't that bright to try new stuff, you know."

"Oh, come off it Kira," he scoffed, "Just admit Trent isn't as perfect as you thought. You saw his father. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Why are you saying these things?" Kira demanded, "You act like all those weeks of friendship meant nothing to you!"

"It was a TRICK!" Conner's voice thundered around the room, and Kira shrank backwards, shocked. "God, Kira, can't you even see what is right in front of you? Can't you tell the difference between betrayal and loyalty? He's been lying from the start -- getting to know you so you'd fall pray to his plans. At this point, wouldn't surprise me if his father was Mesagog!"

Kira ignored the jibe at Trent's father, and her brows furrowed in confusion, "Forget Trent for a second -- 'difference between betrayal and loyalty?' What are you talking about, Conner?"

Alarm flittered across his face for a brief moment before settling into nothing. "Don't worry about it, Kira. A mere slip of the tongue. I'm sure you understand those, since you're friends with Trent and all."

Eyes narrowing in annoyance, Kira forged ahead. "Like I said, forget Trent. What. Did. You. Mean."

Blowing out a long hiss of breath, Conner tipped his chair backwards, staring at the ceiling. "Just..." He refused to look at her, "I'm... I..."

"Spit it out."

Annoyed at her tone, he finally glanced at her sullenly, "I like you, okay? But you're too busy wrapped up elsewhere to notice. I've never hurt you, and I never would, but you don't see that. You can't, not when you're blinded to the obvious. Trent's bad news, Kira, but you just can't see it like I do."

She stared at him. "Did Ethan put you up to this?" she asked, finally. It was hysterical. Conner McKnight liked her? He loved to pick on her, and then the next minute he'd ignore her, and then the next he'd pester her with a million useless questions. And don't forget about all the time he'd just sit there, talking to her about himself. In the few weeks they'd been friends, he had really made many impressions on her. And not to mention the attitude he'd picked up about Trent when he'd found he was the evil ranger they were fighting.

Conner shrugged, "Do I look like the type to kiss and tell, if he knew?"

"Yes," Kira replied instantly, "but it isn't like you've ever kissed me, so bad example."

"Whatever," he muttered. "Look, whether you believe me or not isn't the issue. The issue is that you are too blinded by your feelings to think clearly. Just... stay away from Trent. At least until we rescue Doctor O. Please?"

Kira was at a loss, still reeling from his revelation. "I guess," she relented, "until we help Doctor O." He nodded, relieved, and she spoke again, "Are you serious, though? You like me?"

There was a moment of silence, before he smiled jokingly, "What? Me like a wannabe singer like you? Are you kidding?"

Kira sighed, but felt some of the tension in her body leave, "Well, that's good. I wouldn't want a jock like you liking me anyway." Before he could usher them back downstairs to help find Doctor O.'s cure, she added as an afterthought, "Heck, I wouldn't want ANY jock liking me."

"Neither would I, Kira, neither would I."

Kira shook her head. Whether or not Conner had been telling the truth, Kira was glad at least one person of their makeshift family cared that much about her.

===  
End.


	2. 2

NOTES: Spoilers for "Leader of the Whack" and thank you for all of the reviews! This fic was originally going to just be a stand alone, but I couldn't help myself. It will probably turn into a Conner/Kira fic, but I don't know yet. grins 

"Hey, Kira, can I walk you home?" 

Kira glanced up, surprised, at the sound of Conner's voice. He was standing awkwardly in front of her, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, grinning. It wasn't like he sounded eager, or anything, but Kira could detect the slightest hint of unease. 

"I, uh, guess," Kira shrugged at the offer, and then shook her head disgustedly as she remembered. "But you know, I'm not under that spell anymore. I don't need a bodyguard now that I'm not some whacked out valley girl." 

Conner cocked his head to the side, "You had a bodyguard? I never saw one around here." 

Rolling her eyes, Kira gestured to the doorway behind them. They'd just left Doctor Oliver's lab, hours after rescuing their mentor and teammate from his prison. Of course, they hadn't been very successful, but Doctor O. had assured them that he and Hayley had a few more resources to check out. Ethan had been the first to leave, while Kira and Conner had both stuck around, still hoping to lend a hand. Both had their own guilty reasons but Hayley had insisted that it was getting late. 

"Oh, right," Conner recalled, "secret room. Even you, as an airhead, wouldn't be that stupid." 

Looking slightly miffed, Kira glared at him. "Hey, I was not stupid." 

"You were worried about dirt and breaking a nail!" 

At the memory of her nails, she had to take a quick peek at them. They were perfectly manicured and long, colored a very pale yellow. When under the influence, she'd gotten too frazzled trying to fix her own stubby and uncared for nails, and had ventured into a nail salon, at the mall, and got acrylic nails. 

"Nails cost five dollars a piece to repair if I break one," she retorted. Even if they weren't her usual style, she kinda liked them. They were impractical, of course, but they reminded her that she was, in fact, a girl. And Hayley had said those sides were a part of them... 

Conner grabbed her arm, eyes wide, "Who are you and what have you done with the real Kira?" At her snort, he let go of her arm, and stood back, studying her as she held up her hands to him. "Well, okay, they do make you look like a girl." 

"And I didn't before?" 

"Well..." Conner shrugged, "You did, but you didn't. You never cared. And now you do, even when the rock was destroyed." Conner threw an arm around her shoulders and smiled, "But it's all good as long as you don't try to paint my nails." Kira rolled her eyes but didn't remove his arm. It felt nice and warm. 

They lapsed into a comfortable silence and they continued the trek up the stairs and out of their teacher's house. It was nearly dark and the air was starting to get a familiar chill. Fall was slowly disappearing and leaving winter in its wake. Although it really didn't grow cold in the winter months, there was always a difference between November and July. Kira shivered and Conner looked at her, frowning. 

"Cold?" he asked and she gave a slight nod and he tightened his arm in response. 

"I always forget how much cooler it gets in November. You don't even notice until evening. I always forget to grab a jacket because I never need it in the mornings." 

"Maybe we should keep them at Doctor O.'s," Conner commented. He didn't even notice as his fingers played with the collar of her shirt. And if she did, she never commented about it. "That way we'd have them when we leave." 

"Maybe," Kira agreed. They fell back into their silence, and Kira glanced sideways at her friend. "So, earlier, when you were acting all brainy..." 

Conner's cheeks burned brightly at the memory. Those two days were probably the most embarrassing of his life. No one knew his secret. And he'd always hoped to keep it that way. But, of course, nothing ever went his way. No soccer, no girl, no secrets... 

"Were those real glasses?" 

"No," Conner quickly responded, "They were my dad's...from, uh, high school." 

"I think your blush speaks for itself," Kira said, smirking. "It's okay, you know. I wear glasses for reading," she confided. 

Surprised, Conner could only stare at her. "Really? I never see you in them." 

"I don't show many people," she shrugged. "Probably for the same reasons you don't tell anyone and hide behind the contacts." 

They stopped walking when they reached an intersection. There was a long line of cars waiting to cross and she turned her head, gazing up at him. 

"It's okay to be embarrassed," she whispered. 

"I know," he whispered back. "I just felt so..so...vulnerable," Conner shuddered, remembering the look on Ethan's face when Conner had shown up, looking like a nerd. Conner could remember the same look on his own face over the years to people who had dressed similar. He had hid behind big words and complex sentences, which thankfully, had distracted his friend as planned. 

"I think we all did," Kira said, thoughtfully. "Those images were part of the real us, parts we never wanted to admit to others. Ethan, the jock; Conner, the nerd; and Kira, the ditz." 

"Well, I for one, am glad it's over. Now we can concentrate on the important things. Helping Doctor O., kicking Mesagog butt, and destroying the White Ranger." 

Kira flinched at the mention of Trent's secret identity. 

"Destroying is such a final word." 

Conner sighed. "Do we have to have this conversation now?" 

Shrugging Conner's arm off of her, Kira turned and completely faced him. 

"When's a better time?" she demanded. "When you 'destroy' him? Would that be the right time?" 

"Yes," he returned shortly, "that would be an excellent time." 

Scowling, Kira turned away from him. Checking the traffic, and finding none, she started across the street, barely acknowledging Conner's cries to slow down. 

"You know," Kira stopped when she got across the street. She didn't wait for him to catch up as she began to speak. "I really thought you'd try to understand. You're my best friend, Conner," she didn't even seem to hear his surprised intake of breath, "and you know how I feel about Trent. It doesn't have to end violently. Why can't you at least try to think that this could work out?" 

Conner let her walk away and turned the corner to his own street. He could feel his anger melt away, and replaced with a growing sadness, as he thought about the Yellow Ranger's devotion to the wrong Ranger. 

"Because it won't ever work out," he muttered, "as long as he's around." 


End file.
